Sweeping-dredge.



H. R. WALKER.

SWEEPING DHEDGE.

APPLICATION HLED Nov. 11. 1914.

4illlly4 W 1 .Y in i .dri

W/TNESSES THE COLUMNA PLAIIIOGRAPH CO.. wAsHlNu'roN. n c.

H. R. WALKER.

SWEEPING DREDGE.

APPLICATION 11u-:D Nov.17, 1914.

1,170,581. y Patented Feb. 8,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMNA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTDN. D. C.

H. R. WALKER.

SWEEPING DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I7. 1914.

1,179,581 Patented Feb. 8,1916.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Y 'F.icIEI.

A TTUR/VEVS THE COLUMBIA PLAIjOGR/IP C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

arrasar.

'HENRY R. Vfl-lljll-y NOME, TERRITORY OF ALASKA.

SXWEEPING-BREDGE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ,1916.

Application filed November 17, 17914:. Serial No. 872,673.

T all whom it may concern.'

Be it known thatl, HENRY R. VALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Nome, in the Territory of Alaska, have invented certain new `and useful improvements in Sweeping-Dredges, of

A, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dredges, and the main object thereof is to provide such a device whereby it is enabled `to sweep t bed rock, eitliei hard or clay, where the water of astream is `not of a prohibitive depth and vwhereon gold or other placer mineral clearing weeds or otherinatter away from the latter which might tend to choke the same. y

A further object is to provide means for allowing the sweep to move vertically or the supporting means whereby it may accommodate itself to inequalities inthe bed of a stream and further objects are to provide such means which are simple in construction and operation, highly efficient, permit a considerable period of effective operation between niovement of the device, as awhole, from one position to another, and which are comparatively inexpensive. l

The invention is fully described inthe following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views,

and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a present preferred form of embodiment of the inveiition; Fig. 2 is a plan `view thereof, partially broken away; Fig. 3 is a similar view, still further broken away; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line l--fl of Fig.` 2; and Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. U

1n the drawings forming a part of this application is shown a vehicle frame comprising side bars G having a platform 7 at one Vend thereof and mounted upon driving wheels 8 and steering wheels 9, actuated by means of a gear 10 and pinion 11 on a vertical rod 12 having a wheel 13 at its top. The platform 7 supports an engine 14C having a pinion 15 secured to the shaft thereof, Fig. 3, enmeshed with a pinion 16 on a shaft 17 having its bearings in the side bars G, said shaft also carrying a clutch 18 operable by means of a lever 19, said shaft being longitudinally adjustable in the side bars. Said shaft 17 also` carries a sprocket-wheel 20 connected, by means of a chain 21, to a sprocket 22 on a shaft 23 also carrying a gear 24 enmeshed with a gear 25 on a shaft 26 also having a gear 27 thereon enmeshed with a gear 28 carriedby the axle 29 of the wheels 8, and it will be seen that the vehicle may thus be moved and steered at will.

Slidable on tracks 30 on the 'side bars 6 .is a frame 31 having a longitudinally arranged rack 32 upon the under side thereof and which is enmeshed with a pinion 38 upon a shaft 34: having a bevel pinion 35 thereon enmeshed with a similar pinion 3G upon a shaft 37 and which carries a bevel pinion 88 at its forward end enmeshed with one or the other of two pinions 39 or 40 on a shaft 17 and revoluble therewith, but slidable therewith when moved by means of a lever 40, but this is an old and well known form of reversing gear, and it will be seen that the frame 31 may thus be moved longi tudinally of the vehicle, forwardly or rearwardly thereof, at will. y

The `frame 31 carries a supplemental frame 41 thereon and pivoted thereto at 42 whereby it may be swung laterally of the vehicle, and said supplemental frame projects rearwardly of the frame 31 and carries an engine 43 thereon in operative connection with a rotary pump lil thereon by means of a chain 45, and said pump has an intake pipe or hose 4G having a perforated end 4:7, and an exhaust pipe 48 leading to an amalgamator 19, which might also be a concentrator or equivalent, and which is geared to the engine 43 by means of a chain 50. The said engine is also geared, by means of a chain 51, with a shaft 52,-l3`ig.v 2, having a pinion 53 thereon enmeshed with a gear 511 on a shaft 55 carrying also two reversely arranged bevel pinions 5G and 57 adapted for alternate connection with a pinion 5S, by means of a lever 59; the pinion 58 is secured upon a shaft 60 having, also, a pinion 61 thereon enmeshed with a segmental rack G2 carried upon the frame 31, and it will thus be seen thatthe 'frame L11 may be swung on 5 its pivot 42, laterally of the frame 31, in either direction, while the frame 31 may be inbred longitudinally of the vehicle, in either direction.

Pivoted at 63, to the frame 41, is a yoke di, hating a pendant 65 pivoted thereto at 6,6,saidl yoke being adjustable vertically of frame L11 by means of a cable -67 and ',if, pulleysftiS and 69, Fig. 4, the former of i l'jchiscarried by a rod 70 normally held 1n uppermost position by means of a spring 71 ith-in, gauntree 72, a cleat 73 being ded l,for said cable; n the lower` end of -e pendant is a shaft 71 having a brush 1 secured., thereto, and said shaft is adapted ej rotated by means of a sprocket 76 oma chain 77, a sprocket 78 on a shaft hichv serves as the pivot for said pendf ,-alsllhpjlemental sprocket 8O thereon, and a, cha-in',lnonnecting said last named sprdeketgvith the-.engine L13, and it will be seentjy ,atthebrush 75 may be power driven, and tl-iespendantsupporting the same be ad- 1 jfustejd ,vertically ,of the vehicle, but it will also beiobserved thatthe brush and pendant blje of; freexvertical movement beielspring suspension means 71, V.sa-idp rush `may accommodate itself 5, tn'finequalitieson,theb'ottom of a stream.

vfidi-ileouter end otgthe hose #16 has a collar 82 thereon, in y@pivotal vconnection with a leveriS pivoted ina block y84: secured on the lower end o fa sliding plate 85 within guides S6, said` lever;.having4 a counter-weight S7 thereon,andf e` cable ,S81 connected therewith dill fle-,dime fixed cleatQg it will be .seen tirata hei .boardiV or plate'Sv may be vertically adjustedwithfrespectto the trame L11 and helduinadjusted,position by `means of the connterweight 87,th,us Vmoving the open end of the hose 1b accordingly, into or out of dnerativeiposition, and thegleverl 83 operates tctniove` the said .endf of; the hoseinto contact with the lbrush75because otthe counter- Y', and thev pertoratjed'end 17 of said v1ay@ thusbe cleared of@ anymatter tendingi to obstruct the; free tiow of water anldnsand; gravel, or thelilre, therethrough 5 the pumpflfl and tothe ainalgamator L19. tqwillfthnsbe seen ,thatthe device, as a whole@ mayvvbe` moved .from place 4'to y place tl'reeframe; .fit1 carrying f the brush i and ,i hose menthe; mowed transversely; of the vehicle,

tto i Coni this il 15, c; 'to

V (A rif" rymuee and i,the brush and-hosemay .be independently adjusted vertically of the vehicle and toward or fromeach other; and the Jframe 31 carrying the frame 11 may be moved longitudinally of the vehicle, thus enabling dredging of a considerable area of the bottom of a stream in any position of the vehicle; also, because vof .the formation of the brush, and the manner of suspension thereof, the sand or the like may be swept from between stones or boulders toward the hose end 47, and thus results .are rendered possible which have heretofore been impossible, as it frequ'entlyoccurs that relatively rich deposits are washed into and coniined between stones on the bottom of a stream, and this brush arrangement also enablesfa miner to sweep down to what may be termed bed rock beneath the sand or gravel, and this has not heretofore been possible'.

Vhile certain details of construction have een shown and described, changes thereover may be made, within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificing its advantages. f

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, .and is desired to be Secured by Letters Patent, is v 1. A device of the class described, comprising a platform, a frame movablethereon, a .supplemental frame movable on said iirst named frame, a. brush vertically adjustable in said supplemental `frame, means for actuating said brush, a' suction pipe, and a pump in connection therewith.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a platform, a trame movable thereon, a supplemental frame movable on said first named frame, a brush carried by said supplemental frame, a suction pipe, a pump, means for actuating said ybrush and pump simultaneously, traction means for said plat form, and meansfor actuating said wheels and for actuating said frames at will.

3. A device of the classV described, comprising a platform, a brush adjustable thereon, a suction pipe adjustable thereon, means for actuating said` brush, and means for bringing said pipe into contact with said brush.

1n testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. ,Y

:HENRY WALKER.

Witnesses: 7

O. D. COCHRAN INnz COCHRAN.

patentbrainedobtaiiieidffor,niie'fceiits each, by addressing the 1 Commissioner of Patents, wasiiiiigtoan. c. I 

